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CHAPTER 12: LEADERSHIP POWER AND INFLUENCE 371
Strategic issues and uncertainties are continually changing for organizations,
which leads to shifting power relationships. Departments that help organizations
cope with new uncertainties will increase their power.

Increasing Power Through Political Activity Action Memo
To learn about your own political
Another aspect of power is that it isn’t enough to be performing orientation, go to Leader’s Self-Insight 12.3
central activities or coping with organizational uncertainties—one’s on page 372 and complete the questions.
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efforts must also be recognized as important by others. People who
want to increase their power make sure their activities are visible and
appreciated by others. Acquiring and using power is largely a political
process.
Politics involves activities to acquire, develop, and use power and other Politics
Politics
activities to acquire, develop,
resources to obtain desired future outcomes when there is uncertainty or dis- activities to acquire, develop,
and use power and other
agreement about choices. Politically skillful leaders strive to understand others’ and use power and other
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resources to obtain desired
resources to obtain desired
viewpoints, needs, desires, and goals, and use their understanding to infl uence future outcomes when there
future outcomes when there
is uncertainty or disagreement
people to act in ways that help the leader accomplish his or her goals for the is uncertainty or disagreement
about choices
team or organization. Russell Chew, who runs the nation’s air traffi c control about choices
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system for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has been criticized for his
lack of political savvy. Although Chew has had some notable successes since he
took the job as the fi rst leader of the newly created semiautonomous Air Traffi c
Organization, many of his efforts to cut bureaucracy and trim costs have been
frustrated by the resistance of Congressional leaders. Cost-saving proposals that
involve closing facilities, for example, frequently are stalled because lawmakers
fight the loss of jobs in their districts. Although Chew insists he won’t let up on his

cost-cutting drive as he serves out his term, some observers think he will continue
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to run up against roadblocks because he “doesn’t get the politics.” Leaders at
most organizations engage in some degree of political activity aimed at infl uenc-
ing government policies, because government choices represent a critical source
of uncertainty for businesses as well as non-profi t organizations. Consider such
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U.S. government decisions as the activation of a national “do not call” registry,
which dramatically changes the rules of the game for telemarketers, a Supreme
Court ruling that endorsed the continuation of affirmation action guidelines for

hiring and college admissions, or changes in Medicare and Medicaid that enable
states to wring discounts from health care providers. Organizations use political
activity to try to infl uence decisions that will be to their benefi t.
Individuals and departments within organizations also engage in political ac-
tivity. Political behavior can be either a positive or negative force. Uncertainty and
conflict are natural in organizations, and politics is the mechanism for accomplish-

ing things that can’t be handled purely through formal policies or position power.
The appropriate use of power and politics to get things done is an important
aspect of leadership, as further discussed in this chapter’s Leader’s Bookshelf.
Leaders also use politics to increase their personal power. One way leaders
increase their power is by seeking greater responsibility, such as serving on com-
mittees or volunteering for difficult projects. This often enables them to make

connections with powerful people in the organization and build their reputation
among those people. When lower-level leaders are perceived as having “friends in
higher places,” their own power is increased.
Another political approach is called impression management, which means
people seek to control how others perceive them, often creating an impression of
greater power as well as helping them gain more power. A whole new industry has